This post has been about a month in the making, and when I have news to share I don’t beat around the bush. Like the time I had this whole story ready for my former boss (whom I love and adore) when I was leaving my desk job to blog full time. I marched into her office ready to wax poetic about following my dreams and such, then immediately broke down crying and blabbed, I’m quitting! Nice.

Specifically, I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease which means I cannot eat gluten found in wheat, barley, nor rye as it damages the lining of the small intestine, preventing it from absorbing vital nutrients. Simply put, celiac disease can cause malnutrition if left untreated. The disease was likely triggered by the birth of my son who was delivered via emergency c-section after a very long and very painful labor.

MY OTHER RECIPES

Many people have asked if I’m “going gluten free” over the past month after noticing me sharing gluten free recipes and products on Instagramand Facebook. I’ve prolonged posting about it here on IGE because it’s out of the norm for me to share health news on this site and also, I don’t want to turn people off from this food blog. So, hear me out (and sorry if this is kind of all over the place!)

I’m still learning about celiac disease but from what I’ve researched and my doctor has agreed to is that the disease can lay dormant in some people only to be triggered or “awakened” by traumatic events to your body – think a car crash or unplanned emergency c-section. After Lincoln’s birth I felt very sick for 6 months. I weighed less than I did pre-pregnancy (which was cool for like, a second,) felt like a zombie even after Lincoln started sleeping through the night, and basically just felt like hell. I had an inkling that gluten might be the culprit and after undergoing a few procedures to get the final diagnosis, and cutting gluten from my diet, I feel like a new woman.

Clear head, a healthy weight, and energy through the roof.

At first all I could do was laugh at the irony of a food blogger being diagnosed with celiac disease. I seriously wondered how I’d go on posting knowing I’d be limited to cooking foods that do not contain wheat (I don’t cook much with either barley or rye.) Then I started analyzing my diet and realized that 90% of the foods I already ate were naturally gluten free. As I scrolled through past posts here on IGE, I was tickled to find that many of them were centered around meat, beans, cheeses, rice, potatoes, fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetables – all of which do not contain gluten. In short, eating gluten free at home has not been difficult.

I could go on and on – talking about what I’ve missed so far (pizza! BEER! Not loving GF beer so far…) my feelings about eating out at restaurants (apprehensive – contamination is a huge issue,) and how gluten is hiding in a bajillion products at the grocery store (bitter, though I’ve been finding some great GF products,) but I’ll wrap it up and talk to you real quick about what this means for IGE.

I will not be posting recipes with gluten. Ben and I eat the food I cook for the blog and it would be wasteful to cook foods that I cannot consume. Furthermore, how can I write about something I can’t taste? I will also not be posting notes alongside ingredients like worcestershire sauce or soy sauce, which sometimes contain gluten, that say make sure you check for gluten! because that would get redundant, and if you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance then you know to check for things like that.

What I can promise you is that the recipes posted here will remain easy, seasonal, family-friendly, and most importantly, delicious. If you’ve enjoyed the past month’s recipes (all of which are gluten free, with the exception of one – Creamy Chicken Pasta,) then you will continue to enjoy my recipes moving forward.

I’ve quickly learned that gluten free does NOT mean taste free, nor full of weird, hard to find ingredients. On the contrary, it means fresh and flavorful food! Like I said, my diet was already largely based around gluten free foods anyway, and I bet yours might be too.

So if you’ve made it this far, thank you! And I’ve also got a humdinger of a recipe for you today. I’m going absolutely bananas for Lemon Blackberry Breakfast Cookies which are egg free, dairy free and, yes, gluten free. With all those restrictions you might think these babies taste like cardboard, but I literally can. not. stop. eating them.

I mean, healthy, great-tasting cookies for breakfast! Who can’t get down with that?

Old fashioned oats are mixed with honey instead of refined sugar, applesauce instead of oil, banana instead of egg (though they do not taste banana-y) fresh blackberries, lemon zest, and lemon juice then baked. These breakfast cookies are chewy, perfectly sweet, dense and absolutely delicious. Good for the heart, taste buds and soul!

Bake these cookies then pair with a piece of fruit or yogurt for breakfast, or serve to the kids as an after-school snack. They’ll love ’em (and you’ll love serving them!) I can’t even confess to you how many I’ve eaten over the past week. I had to freeze the leftovers to stop myself! Which, by the way, is another awesome perk of this recipe. Freeze the extra cookies then microwave for just 20 seconds for an insta-delish breakfast.

Ooo, oo, it’s also made in just one bowl so clean up is nearly nil!

Start with 3-3/4 cups old fashioned oats. I know I said I wouldn’t do this, but it’s important to note that if you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance you’ll want to buy certified gluten free oats. Oats are naturally gluten free but are usually processed in facilities that also process wheat which means they can be contaminated with gluten. Even GF oats might trigger a reaction in severe cases of celiac disease, but so far I’ve been fine with them.

Anyway, I’ve found these GF Bob’s Red Mill Old Fashioned Oats at every single grocery store in town!

Add 1-3/4 cups of the oats to a food processor then process until the oats have turned into flour, about 3-4 minutes.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together then fold in 1lb blackberries. Blackberries are selling for next to nothing right now at the grocery store so stock up for the freezer, and for these cookies of course! I’ve also used blueberries in here and they are awesome.

Let the batter sit and thicken for 10 minutes then scoop 1/4 cup of the batter (I used an ice cream scoop) onto a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Wet your fingers with water then press down slightly on the tops of the cookies, as they won’t spread much if at all in the oven.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees or until the edges are golden brown and the top is set, then cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 2 days, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or pop into a freezer bag and freeze. Like I said, just 20 seconds or so to reheat in the microwave – whee!

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees then line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper and set aside. Add 1-3/4 cups oats to a food processor then process for 3-4 minutes or until very fine to make oat flour.

Scoop 1/4 cup batter (I used an ice cream scoop) onto prepared baking sheet then wet hand with water and press down to flatten slightly (cookies will not spread.) Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown around the edges and set on top. Cool completely then store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or wrap individually in plastic wrap then freeze in a freezer bag. Wrap in a paper towel then microwave for 20 seconds to thaw.

418 Comments [+]

I’ve been enjoying your blog for several years and now I can finally share it with my mom, who has celiac disease. She’ll love the variety of recipes and the yummy (and healthier) desserts! Have you tried Strongbow beer? At a New Year’s Eve party my husband was drinking it since it was provided by the host and he was reading the bottle and loudly announced to me (it was hilarious), “Hey! This is gluten-free! Your mom might like this!” Not taking into account my mom doesn’t like beer…but hey, now it’s useful knowledge for you!
BTW, there’s always wine! That’s what my mom enjoys!

Found your site recently, love it!!! Love all the recipes! Any chance you’d consider adding calorie counts to your recipes? Probably too much work, but I’m trying to track calories and would love if that info were included. I know I can figure it out on my own, just being lazy ;)

Sorry to hear about your health issues. I am glad you figured out the cause of not feeling well after your son’s birth. So many people try to avoid gluten now. If anything, I think your blog will be MORE popular because the recipes do not contain gluten.

I figured this post was on its way! So sorry you had such a hard time after having Lincoln. It makes me uber sad to know you felt like hell. BUT, I’m so happy you have a diagnosis and are feeling much better with your new diet!

Our close friends went GFree 2 years ago for her health. And because we lived with them for a short time, we ate gluten free a lot and I can attest that it does NOT mean sacrificing on flavor. If you need a GF pizza crust recipe, be sure to check out the one on our site! It was crafted and perfected by my friend who’s 100% GF, and it really is sensational. I prefer it over REGULAR crust even! Here’s to a happier, healthier gluten free life!

Hi Kristin!
I’ve been reading your blog daily for over a year now, and so I felt compelled to share with you that I have celiac as well. I was diagnosed 7 years ago, so I’m used to it by now, but I understand how much of a struggle it can be at the beginning. As I’m sure you’re learning, how it makes you feel in the long-term is soo worth it–my symptoms were actually nearly identical to yours, and that shit ain’t fun. But selfishly, I’m so happy that more recipes on IGE will be gluten-free! If anything, you’re just going to be attracting more viewers to your page with this minor shift. Thanks for sharing your story!!

Have you tried the gluten free pretzels yet? It is a universal truth that they are better than gluten-filled pretzels.
Best of luck!!

Kristin, thanks for sharing! I’ve been following your blog for over a year now, making my own gluten free modifications to the recipes you post…very excited to see some true GF recipes here now. So glad that you are feeling better, I know what that feels like!!

I started following your blog a couple months ago and have made several recipes from it. I was so excited to read your GF announcement today, since I too have recently been diagnosed with celiac. Like last week. I’m still trying figure it all out and I am so glad to have your blog as a resource now! Thanks for all your hard work and glad you are feeling better…I hope to be there soon!

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. My hubs is gluten intolerant and in the last year we’ve learned A LOT. I’ve always been an avid reader and now I won’t have to translate the recipes to meet our needs :)

A few random pointers:
*Rice flour stinks for baking, in general. My fav is sorghum flour. I make a blend of sorghum, buckwheat, almond meal, potato starch, and xantham gum. If you practice, you can make excellent breads & cakes from scratch. Promise.
*Great pancakes http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2011/08/karinas-gluten-free-pancakes.html
*You can use potato starch as an awesome thickener for soups in place of flour.
*Oats (as you can see) are a good stand in for meatballs and such
*When making cheesecake type desserts, you can make a great crust out of chopped nuts (pecans/walnuts), butter, and brown sugar. You just bake to set before doing the rest of the cheesecake
*I second the comment earlier about the Wisco brew (Lake Front Brewery, New Grist).

I’ve been a loyal reader for years, and although I’m not GF, I certainly could use more GF recipes in my life! I look forward to more delicious recipes and fun posts – and I’m glad you are feeling like yourself again! :)

I’m not gluten free but have many friends who are like family who are. I’m excited to be able to refer them to your blog for great recipes. My husband and I have followed your blog for a couple of years now and frequently try your recipes (or recipes from your Friday favorites).

We love so many of your recipes, the chicken parm meatballs are made at least once a month around here! While it will be hard to make the change forever I’m sure, it will be a blessing to so many who have to eat gluten free to have you as a resource!

While I’ve made a bunch of your recipes (and loved ’em all), it’s rare that I wake up and immediately feel the need to bake. But today, courtesy of ripening bananas on my countertop, I did. Great recipe. I think I might have over-mixed my batter, though. My cookies aren’t nearly as pretty or as airy looking as yours… but the lemon/berry combo. yeah, gonna have to freeze these suckers or I’ll eat them all. :)

AHHH welcome to the club, girl! It’s not that bad I promise! I’ve been gluten-free for almost 2 years (reading your blog for 3 :)) my mom for 10 – basically her whole side is GF because of gluten sensitivity/celiac.

Best Pasta: Any brown rice pasta (some are better than others – idk what’s available out by you) or Barille gluten-free for things like Mac and Cheese or Ziti.

Best Bread: Schar’s Deli-Style

Best Beer: TBD but I usually stick with ciders. ;] Also you can still have Jameson for St. Patrick’s day, lol!

This is definitely great for me. I absolutely love your blog but found out I couldn’t eat gluten about a year and a half ago. It’s been pretty hard but I still use a lot of your recipes and substitute as best I can. Hopefully you enjoy being gluten free and continue to feel great :)

What a funny case of serendipity that on the day I discovered your blog, you announced your gluten-free status, as I also have celiac disease. (Mine was triggered, I think, by the bad experience of living through September 11th, though it took three years to get diagnosed. Ugh.) I can totally identify with you (and others) who understand that even though it’s not an easy diagnosis to get, the fact that you feel so much better when you get off gluten more than makes up for it. You are absolutely right in that you don’t have to keep cautioning people about what to be wary of—people who are GF already know that soy sauce has wheat but you can substitute tamari sauce instead, and so on. People who make a recipe with flour can use GF flour, so it’s not a big deal. Or at least, it is so much better than it used to be! I can’t believe all the GF products and GF awareness as opposed to ten years ago. I will now be reading your blog often, and I wish you continued good health.

I never post on here but I always always read your blog! And I love it!! I am so excited for this gluten free post as I am also trying to be gluten free! Regardless though, I would
Still follow your blog. And I agree gluten free doesn’t mean safrificing taste. I’m excited to know your future recipes will be gluten free!! Thank you!!

Transitioning to gf as an adult is NOT easy, but with a good attitude (and occasional breakdowns, not gonna lie), it’s doable! I’ve been reading here for years, straight through my gf change. I can’t say how many of your recipes I’ve used for inspiration. A few tips: sushi isn’t off limits as long as you bring your own soy and wasabi; no California rolls ever; get rid of your old toaster and cutting boards; pf changs gf menu is bomb; Boston’s sports bar has the best gf pizza ever; I’ve got tons of gf recipes if you ever need help- I cook a lot and won’t stand to miss out on something awesome when I could easily make it at home!

After reading this blog post, I called my dr and made an appt. Your description of how you’ve felt is exactly how I’ve felt since having my son last August. The battle with keeping weight on, has been exactly that….a battle!

I love your blog and won’t be going anywhere! I’m originally from Iowa. Thanks again!!

Wow! Praise the Lord you were able to find out what was going on though. Some people just go through life thinking something is wrong but never pursue to find out what it is. You got the answer now you just need to make the change… AND the change is still quite tasty. I have been thinking about going gluten free just because in general the stuff’s not great for our bodies. You always have awesome recipes Kristin so I can’t wait to see the gluten free recipes you come up with! :)

Kristen you and I are in the same boat! I cut gluten out about two years ago and wholy guacamolie! So many problems I had had for years vanished. You are right that much of what you already post here is gluten free that’s one of the reasons I have remained an avid follower. I look forwanrd to more gluten free recipes to come… And don’t stress too much about pizza and beer, I promise that in time you will find equally amazing replacements.

I’ve been reading IGE for ages and I’ve also been gluten-free for ages! Not due to celiac, but a severe gluten intolerance. I’ve been able to make a ton of your recipes gluten-free (thanks in major part to brown rice pasta and Thomas Keller’s C4C flour) but I’m super excited that you’ll be sharing lots of GF recipes! Thanks for sharing your story!

I am so excited about this recipe! I’ve recently been taken off gluten, dairy, eggs, and sugar and have been wanting something desserty. I will try these this weekend!

And I will look forward to upcoming recipes even more now that I know we are riding along in the same boat. I have been using your recipes quite a bit and now I’ll haven a bigger reason to do so. Thank you!

Thanks for the update. I will still look forward to your recipes – eating less gluten is better for everyone! And I am glad you have resolved the reason you did not feel well the first 6 mos after your son was born!

Ironically – maybe this opens up many more recipes you might not have considered for the blog.

I admire your courage and honesty. I’m also very glad to hear you’re feeling like your old self. Looking forward to seeing the new recipes you’ll be sharing! Your blog is one of my favorites. Keep up the good work and keep sharing!

I’m not happy you have to go GF because of Celiac. My friend has it and it’s not at all fun. However, I eat GF because I am sensitive to gluten and so getting GF recipes are fantastic for me. I found a really good GF flatbread recipe it is probably the best GF bread recipe I’ve found so far, you could make a great pizza with it. Even my mom loves it, she likes eating it with Hummus. I have a handy little booklet that helps with shopping in the store, many things are GF even if they aren’t labeled. The worse is crackers because I LOVE crackers. But look for the shopping guide by Triumph Dining. They put a new one out every year with added items. It will even tell you if it’s made in a facility that contains harmful gluten foods even if the food itself contains no gluten so you can make that choice for yourself.

Wow! Looking so forward to trying your GF recipes. I was diagnosed with celiac three years ago and have been following your blog for almost as long, converting recipes whenever possible. Good luck on your journey to better health :)

OMG my fav blogger is going gluten free!! I’ve been gluten free due to celiac for almost 4 years. At first, I mourned the foods I missed but now I embrace it fully. It’s done so many positive things for my life – way beyond how much better I feel. I experiment way more in the kitchen and my taste buds have expanded 1000%. And, it led me to my blog. If you ever check out As Good As Gluten, you’ll see a lot of your recipes linked and my modifications of how I made them gluten free (if they were not already gluten free).

I have a ton of advice on favorite pizza, pasta, baked goods, etc. if you ever want it. While I haven’t found a good gluten free beer, there are quite a few ciders I enjoy (as well as wine and liquor).

While this diagnosis sucks for you, being gluten free isn’t a food death sentence. There are very, very, very few things I haven’t found a good gluten free replacement for.

Good luck, and I’m selfishly excited to see where this journey takes you.

One more thing, talk to your dietician at Hy-Vee. When I lived in Iowa my Hy-Vee dietician was awesome at ordering anything I wanted that they typically didn’t carry.

YUM! These look incredible! I’ll definitely have to give these a try as I’m always looking for ways to change up my breakfast options as I too have been eating gluten-free. (Not from celiac but from a definitely gluten intolerance).

First of all, what a blessing that you have found what was making you feel ill! It’s a great feeling to be on the road to recovery and simply feeling better. I love your blog and EVERY recipe I’ve tried from IGE. Therefore, I have to say, PERFECT TIMING. I recently ate an elimination diet and discovered gluten isn’t my friend either. While I don’t have Celiac, I feel like a new woman without gluten. I’m so excited that I will still be able to continue to use your amazing recipes.

These may be the best looking and healthiest breakfast cookies I’ve seen. Glad to hear giong gluten-free has made you feel better! One of my friends was diagnosed at a very young age and she’s always telling me how much better the gluten-free market is the past few years now that’s its more well known.

I’m sorry that you have Celiac but glad you got a diagnosis and are feeling better now! Ya know, if you moved to Portland, we have a bazillion gf food carts and restaurants and Bob’s Red Mill is here, their store is massive! :) I have RA and am doing an elimination diet right now that includes gluten, dairy, egg, soy and a few other things. I can tell, I’m only on my third day but I already feel so much better, it’s crazy!

I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis. It takes some time getting used to and getting through the “mourning” period of your favourite gluten foods. You will find that it’s quite easy now a days to change up recipes to be gluten free (with the exception of baking).As well, a lot of restaurants offer gluten free menus, dishes etc. As a reader I’m ecstatic because I am gluten free :) and have been for 6 years. It’s not so bad. :)

I am TOTALLY excited that your wonderful site will be featuring gluten-free exclusively! I’ve been GF for 20 years now and I also became diagnosed three months after my daughter was born. Oh how I remember that awful “zombie” feeling. You will be making a great impact and helping so many who don’t know that “gluten” is affecting them. Thank you for a great blog and spreading knowledge about gluten-free! I have no doubt you will gain even more fans :

I’m not normally a big breakfast bar/cookie fan but these bad boys look deliclious! Just bought some blackberries today too, they are just too good :) As for your new gluten-free diet, I’m sure you will still continue making beyond delicious recipes to share with us and I’m glad you have found some relief with just a change to what you eat. Can’t wait to see what type of dishes you come up with as you experiment through this new lifestyle!

Sorry to hear that you’re facing this. I have gluten sensitivity and it’s definitely helped me eat healthier. I do miss my toast tho and don’t want to eat most of the processed gf foods — theyre not necessarily healthier as many claim and let’s be honest, some of them taste like cardboard! But there are lots of great items to make from scratch. Looking forward to your gf recipes!

thank you so much for sharing this recipe and I will look forward to all the gluten free recipes to come. Can I ask, how were you diagnosed? What tests showed celiac? Curious for myself. Thanks so much. Happy GF cooking!

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hi, i’m kristin!

I'm a Midwestern wife and Mom of two little boys. After being diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2013, Iowa Girl Eats is a place I share delicious and approachable gluten-free recipes made with everyday, in-season ingredients. Visit my Recipe Index for inspiration!MORE ABOUT ME

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